You Have A Choice!

One thing that I heard frequently from the other person’s mouth is “I don’t have a choice.” That statement is not true. We do have choices in life, be it a limited or an obstructed one but we still are able to choose.

From the moment a new day starts, you choose to sleep in late or wake up to go to work, it’s a choice you make.

The moment you choose to listen to your parents on the choice of your career or rebel and choose something unconventional, it’s your choice.

Whether you choose to stay in a horrible job or quit to find something better.

Whether you allow bullying in the workplace to go on or voice it out to your superiors and HR.

Whether you choose to give birth to a new life and have a part of your heart outside of your body.

Whether you choose to sink into depression or seek medical assistance.

Whether you choose to out yourself as an LGBTQA or stay closeted for the rest of your life.

Whether you choose to broaden your horizons or remain complacent.

To the point whether I should have my McDonald’s chicken burger or a healer choice of organic salad for lunch in an hour’s time.

What I’m saying is that we all have choices however it is limited by many obstacles like financial, emotional, physical limitations. What stop us is the follow-up consequences. Our minds play up dire unforeseen consequences to protect us from hurting ourselves. It is a natural human protective instinct.

I’m not saying that you should throw caution to the wind and forget about consequences. I’m implying that we shouldn’t let fear paralyzed us before we approach our choices, weighing the positive and negative consequences. For me, I’m always careful to have plan B. I never want to have regrets in life, moaning on my deathbed all the ‘should haves’ is the last thing I want. I prefer to live a colourful life filled with ups and downs, adventures after adventures.

I have made some difficult decisions in life, some selfish ones and some selfless ones never had I looked back and say I wish I could have done things differently. Because it’s the choices that we made, made us who we are, where we stand, what we believe in.

To be truly immersed in the moment, every choice I make (excluding the McDonald’s chicken burger that I’ve just ordered), I made with both my heart and my mind.

Do I really want this?

If I don’t do or do this, what are the results of my actions?

Will I hurt someone?

Can I live with myself if I don’t do or do this?

Can I bear the worst consequences?

Will I have regrets one day?

The last question will swing my decision in either way. Understandably not everyone is built like me and not all situations are as simple as it is, but by not letting fear to take root in your heart, you will not let it blind you or rob you of perhaps a wonderful outcome of your choice.

Curious about some of the hard decisions I have made? Let me allow you a tiny peep.

Choose to give up my plans for 6 months break on an island for a job
The job ends up being the best job I have in my 20 odd years career.

Decide to relocate to China alone
If I hadn’t done that, I’ll never learn to be independent.

Choose to start a long distance relationship despite everyone advised me not to
That ended up him being my husband.

Decide to quit the job of my life and move to Malaysia
Results: marriage, my daughter and MiddleMe!

Those are some of the major decisions that I had to make. It could have ended up in disastrous consequences. Like wasting my time and heartache over a bad long distance relationship or finding myself hating living in China.

To think that the choices I’ve just shared are all made during the last 4 years!

What are the tough choices you have made? Share with us in the comments below. Now let me get back to that chicken burger. Sinful…..

I love this. It all comes down to being proactive, rather than reactive. We can choose to be a force of action on this world, instead of just reacting to what happens to us. We control our lives – we choose who we will be, and what we will do.
A hard decision that I had to make once was the decision to move far away for university. I grew up in the Midwest United States, I had to decide between attending a school that was close to my home, or a school that was four and a half hours from my home.
I ended up moving to the school that was far away, and it was one of the best decisions of my life. I learned so much about myself and my studies. It was worth it!

I love your view on sharing, and the differences in western and Asian work and life cultures, well done you for providing a platform that gives people the advice they need because of the different work culture they are in.

Absolutely true words, dear Kally. The only regrets I have in my life: cutting my hair, twice. Fortunately, it will grow back, but still. haha
And choices, deliberately made, like you described, is a good choice at that moment.You can always make a new one, the next moment.
XxX